Kwon, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud. US District Judge Paul Engelmayer delivered the sentence at a New York hearing, calling the case “a fraud of epic generational scale.”
The accused, identified as Rahul Arora, was apprehended during coordinated raids across three locations in India. In addition to the crypto seizure, authorities recovered approximately $26,400 (₹22 lakh) in unaccounted cash, as well as advanced caller ID spoofing tools, lead generation software, and voice recordings used in social engineering scams.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) did not disclose the exact value or type of cryptocurrencies seized but confirmed that the funds were used to collect illicit proceeds from transactions on the BidenCash platform.
Hornet’s software is designed to make sense of the often opaque world of cryptocurrency transactions. By leveraging proprietary algorithms, the startup helps trace the flow of digital assets across wallets and exchanges. This has already led to breakthroughs in criminal probes.
“Today’s arrest demonstrates our commitment to holding bad actors accountable for undermining the integrity of the financial markets,” said SEC Inspector General Jeffrey.
